Abramoff scandal reveals capitalist corruption

Lies. Corruption. Thievery. Influence peddling. All of these words describe the growing scandal sweeping Congress and the Bush administration. This scandal threatens to expose for millions how deals between big business interests and the capitalist government are made.

In the United States, the entire political system functions to enrich the wealthiest sector of the populationÃƒÂ¢Ã¢”šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Âthe owning class of bankers and corporate big shots. Corporate lobbyists play an essential role as liaisons between their clients and the government, getting millions of dollars to influence legislation to meet their clients’ needs.

But [Abramoff’s] true crime, in the eyes of the bourgeoisie, was that he overstepped his bounds with the sheer amount of fraud he committed in recent years.

A portion of the bourgeoisie is not only upset at his excesses, they seek to push down the costs of doing business in Washington. These capitalist bosses want to send a message to corporate lobbyists that they do not like the ever-skyrocketing operating costs.

As long as profits can be ensured by buying off politicians, politics will be dirty and corrupt. This is a fundamental feature of government under capitalism. It is necessary to go beyond the confines of the bourgeois discourse about the Abramoff scandal and use it to expose the rotten nature of capitalism.

To get rid of people like Jack Abramoff and everyone he was able to buy and sell throughout his career, a new system is neededÃƒÂ¢Ã¢”šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Âone where no profit motive or ultra-rich ruling class exists.

The problem is not a rogue president or a rogue party, the problem is a rogue system. The same system that creates and nurtures corruption in DC also invades countries based on lies and pretends torture is ethically defensible. All the parts are linked, it’s the system, not the people, that needs to be changed.